


The Starchaser Codex

by TheDoomkitten



Series: Starchaser [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Complex Justifications of Video Game Mechanics, Gen, Worldbuilding Somehow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoomkitten/pseuds/TheDoomkitten
Summary: This is a companion piece to my primary work in the fandom, Starchaser, where I put all of my ramblings about how the video game mechanics of the series make sense actually so I don't clog up the main fic with pointless exposition in a dubiously in-universe format. Enjoy.
Series: Starchaser [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626568
Kudos: 9





	The Starchaser Codex

Every being on every world has a wellspring of magic energy known as mana stored within their souls. Most, especially on industrialized worlds, go their whole lives without tapping into their mana's potential. By default, a being's heart absorbs nearly all mana that is produced by the soul as a protective measure—untamed mana can wreak havoc with all three aspects of a being (heart, mind, and soul), leaving it vulnerable to the forces of darkness.

The first step to unlocking one's natural mana is different for each person, ranging from an especially strong conviction pushing one over the edge to meditation to formulae and symbols that trick the heart and soul into free access of mana. Or, in the case of the residents of the Destiny Islands, living in a world that is so naturally devoid of darkness that such protective measures aren't even necessary.

Due to the Destiny Islands' unique status as a world that's entirely insulated from the Lanes Between and the Realm of Darkness without very specific circumstances, the hearts of its residents have no need to fear the damage that can be wrought by darkness and thus allow the souls connected to properly utilize the mana they produce.

Of course, since there is no need for most forms of combat magic, most islanders' mana doesn't develop beyond its most basic form: the aegis, a sheath of free-flowing mana that completely surrounds its "user" (if its unconscious activation can even be called use) and anything they hold. The aegis has two basic functions*: as suggested by the name, it automatically protects the user by converting the majority of any significant force that would injure them or damage whatever they're holding to excess mana, creating a burst of light that the residents of the Destiny Islands have named "the glow." (Some even use the ambient mana produced this way as a substitute for electricity, particular on the Destiny Islands where this is abundant. I admit, the image of people pounding away at random rocks to capture light in a bottle amuses me greatly.) Blows that would snap spines are reduced to small bruises, an attack that would eviscerate any normal human becomes a papercut. Those with aegii are impossibly resilient, and any normal being that fights them is hopelessly outmatched by default. 

The aegis's secondary function is also the one of the only ways to defeat a being with unlocked mana, as the aegis also surrounds whatever a being is holding with mana. When two different kinds of mana clash, they negate one another. As such, whenever one being's aegis in the form of their weapon impacts another being's aegis, part of the other being's aegis is depleted. This effect is relatively minor, of course, and can be enhanced by legitimate magical weapons sheathed in their own mana. Still, once an aegis is fully depleted, it leaves its user vulnerable to a finishing blow as it can take some time for it to recover.

However, similar to a human's muscles, the soul's mana—and the aegis by extension—can be "exercised" to improve in its efficacy. Whenever a being's aegis (or aegis-equivalent, in the case of Heartless) is fully broken, it splinters into base magical elements. These include usable mana bubbles for magic users, absorbable pieces of aegis mana that can be used to replenish it, other energies and crystallizations that can be used for synthesis, and invisible fragments that can be integrated into the aegis and the soul itself, strengthening their magical properties, among others that I have yet to identify. While what each aegis produces when fully broken depends on the nature of the soul/soul-equivalent that powers it, these "experience fragments" are universal. Combined with how the soul naturally fortifies itself as it exerts, measurable increases in aegis and general mana power can be found after defeating just a few enemies. The aegis can develop entirely new abilities as this continues, such as being able to see a rough approximation of how strong another's aegis is or allowing for impossible physical feats such as the rumored double-jump.

Of course, this is only the most basic manifestation of mana. How to use it properly will be covered another time.

* * *

*"Function" implies that the aegis was somehow designed with these purposes in mind, but I'm personally inclined to doubt this theory. Beyond my personal issues with intelligent design, it's more likely that the aegis's defensive and offensive abilities are a consequence of free-flowing mana surrounding a being's body rather than any consciously created combat technique. This explains why it's still prevalent on the conflict-free Destiny Islands.


End file.
